Want to see an Eastern screech owl? Of course you do…
“On, no! More tourists interrupting my nap.”
“Nuts, I’ve got an itch!”
“I’m so tired after hunting all night!”
“Okay, so what do you want, anyway?”
“Sorry, I have to rest up for tonight’s hunt. See you later…”
The real beauty of this owl is that it was roosting for the day in a red-cockaded woodpecker hole. Yep, in one of those white ringed longleaf pines along the Upland Discovery Trail on the refuge. A visitor excitedly reported it to us in the VC this afternoon, and Kathy and I wasted no time getting out there to see it. The red-cockaded woodpecker is not only an endangered species, but also a ‘keystone’ species. That means that its homes are used by more than just their species. This was a great example of how important they are to the entire ecosystem. Cool beans! (Sorry, sometimes I just have to add subtitles even though I know it’s anthropomorphism.)
THE END!!
Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later, Judy
